UC-NRLF 


B    3   flSM 


'he  Evolution  of  Modern 
Band  Saw  Mills  for 
Sawing  Logs 


PRESENTED  BY 


THE    PRESCOTT   COMPANY 


MENOMINEE,  MICHIGAN 


Ag.dept.   Forestry 


he  Evolution  of  Modern 


Band  Saw  Mills  for 


Sawing  Logs 


PRESENTED  BY 

THE    PRESCOTT   COMPANY 

MENOMINEE,  MICHIGAN 


•     .   •      «.••     •  .••  • 
•  •    •  •          «•»».* 


^t— 


P7 


v 


COPYRIGHTED 

1910 

D.    CLINT    PRESCOTT 


Preface 


The  history  herein  given  and  the  facts  stated  are  taken  from 
authentic  records  and  also  are  the  result  of  the  personal  experiences 
and  observations  of  the  author.  It  is  intended  to  show  the  efforts 
made  by  the  Saw  Mill  Machinery  Builders  of  this  country  from 
about  the  year  1880  and  thenceforward,  to  produce  a  Band  Saw 
Mill  that  would  render  acceptable  service  to  large  saw  mill  oper- 
ators. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  display  all  of  the  productions  of  later 
days,  the  main  object  being  to  show  the  transition  logically  from 
earlier  types  to  the  splendid  machines  now  built  by  THE  PRES- 
COTT  COMPANY  of  Menominee,  Mich.,  under  whose  auspices 
this  work  has  been  published  and  is  now  presented  to  the  Saw  Mill 
world. 

By  the  author, 

D.  CLINT  PRESCOTT. 


619435 


The  Evolution  of  Modern  Band 
Saw  Mills  for  Sawing  Logs 

It  is  not  the  purpose  to  begin  this  narrative  with  a  history  of 
the  crude  methods  employed  by  our  ancestors  to  obtain  lumber 
for  building  purposes;  it  is  enough  to  know  that  they  were  able  to 
obtain  the  necessary  material  with  which  to  provide  homes  for 
themselves,  as  well  as  establishments  in  which  to  carry  on  business, 
to  say  nothing  of  schools  and  houses  of  worship;  and  some  lumber 
for  these  purposes  they  certainly  did  have,  and  it  was  not  cut  by 
anything  like  a  modern  saw  mill,  either. 

It  is  sufficient  to  state  that  we  have  advanced  from  the  early 
Hand  Whip  Saw  to  machines  in  order  about  as  follows:  The  Sash 
Saw,  the  Mulay  Saw,  the  Round  or  Live  Gang,  the  Slabbing  Gang 
and  its  partner  the  Flat  or  Stock  Gang;  then  the  Circular  or  Rotary 
Mill,  and  lastly  the  Band  Saw  Mill,  and  one  generation  of  men, 
some  of  whom  are  now  alive,  has  seen  all  of  these  machines  at  regular 
work  in  saw  mills  sawing  logs. 

In  passing  it  may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  the  old  Sash  Saw 
was  usually  run  by  undershot  water  wheels,  and  a  man  would  start 
a  cut  in  the  morning  and  then,  go  to  plowing  out  in  his  field.  By 
noon,  that  cut  being  finished,  he  would  set  over  the  log  for  another 
board,  go  home  to  dinner,  after  which  he  would  resume  his  plowing, 
and  by  evening  the  second  cut  would  be  completed ;  so  that  by  close 
attention  to  business  a  man  could  get  two  boards  a  day. 

A  sawyer  on  one  of  these  mills  once  told  the  writer  that  he  could 
sit  on  a  log  that  was  being  sawed  and  go  to  sleep.  When  the  log 
had  moved  up  far  enough  the  saw  would  scratch  him  when  it  came 
down  and  he  then  had  plenty  of  time  when  the  saw  went  up  to  wake 

[5] 


up  and  get  off  the  log  before  the  saw  came  down  again.  But  since 
then  times  have  changed  and  we  have  progressed  far  away  from 
the  Stub  Shot  to  the  Circular  Mill  and  to  the  Band  Mill  for  sawing 
logs,  the  Stock  Gang  being  still  in  use  in  some  instances  for  sawing 
cants  prepared  by  both  of  them. 

The  use  of  the  Band  Mill  in  place  of  Circulars  and  Gangs  became 
very  desirable  for  two  important  reasons;  one  of  them  was  that  the 
saw  kerf  of  a  band  saw  is  so  much  less  than  that  of  a  circular  saw 
that  the  saving  in  sawdust  yielded  a  greater  quantity  of  lumber 
from  the  logs,  thus  accomplishing  a  clear  saving  of  valuable  material. 
The  other  reason  was  that  while  Gangs  made  perfectly  sawed  lumber, 
they  produced  a  great  deal  of  cullen  stock  from  rough  or  unsound 
logs,  for  as  the  saws  are  hung  in  the  sash  so  must  the  lumber  come 
out,  and  there  is  no  way  of  varying  the  thicknesses  to  accommodate 
the  quality  of  the  stock.  While  a  Band  Mill  will  not  cut  so  much 
lumber  in  a  day  as  a  Gang,  it  is  a  machine  with  which  a  log  can 
be  sawed  to  the  best  advantage,  and  that  with  a  saw  as  thin  as 
a  gang  saw.  So  that  if  the  lumber  coming  from  a  Gang  and  often 
rated  as  cull,  could  have  been  sawed  into  piece  or  thick  stuff,  it 
would  make  it  valuable  and  marketable. 

This  made  the  Band  Mill  attractive,  and  lumbermen  began  to 
take  an  interest  in  it  and  to  investigate  the  operations  of  those 
known  to  exist.  The  result  of  their  inspections,  however,  was  far 
from  being  satisfactory,  because  none  of  them  were  doing  good  work 
or  anywhere  near  enough  of  it,  and  with  exceedingly  few  exceptions 
the  mill  men  rejected  them  and  regarded  them  as  an  impracticable 
machine  for  sawing  logs,  and  few  dealers  would  buy  lumber  that 
was  cut  with  a  band  saw. 

Mr.  L.  L.  Hotchkiss  who  operated  a  mill  in  West  Bay  City, 
Mich.,  and  was  very  desirous  of  saving  as  much  of  his  logs  as  he 
could,  told  the  writer  that  the  men  to  whom  he  sold  his  lumber 
had  refused  to  buy  any  of  it  if  he  cut  it  with  a  Band  Mill. 

A  prominent  lumberman  of  Minneapolis  also  told  the  writer 
that  he  would  not  take  a  Band  Mill  as  a  gift  and  be  obliged  to  put 
it  in  and  use  it.  And  that  was  the  prevailing  view  among  mill  men 
of  the  northwest  generally  in  1886. 

[6] 


Band  Mills  that  would  satisfy  the  lumber  manufacturers  of 
Indiana  and  the  valley  of  the  Ohio  where  they  were  to  be  found, 
could  never  meet  the  requirements  of  the  men  of  Michigan,  Wis- 
consin, Minnesota  and  the  Mississippi  Valley  as  far  south  as  St. 
Louis. 

Now  what  was  the  trouble?  It  was  simply  because  a  band  saw 
if  forced  to  do  a  satisfactory  day's  work,  invariably  would  cut 
snakey  or  crooked  lumber;  and  even  when  sawing  a  small  amount 
of  lumber  each  end  of  a  board  would  have  a  crook,  showing  that  the 
saw  for  some  reason  would  deflect  from  a  true  line  when  entering  a 
log  and  also  when  leaving  it,  while  the  cut  through  the  center  might 
be  quite  straight;  but  in  all  cases  the  effort  to  push  things  so  as  to 
get  a  satisfactory  day's  work  as  demanded  by  the  northern  mill  men, 
would  result  in  bad  snakey  lumber  every  time,  and  dealers  did  not 
want  such  lumber. 

Previous  to  1887  there  was  not  a  Band  Mill  in  existence  for 
sawing  logs  that  fully  met  the  wishes  of  lumbermen  engaged  in  large 
operations,  although  quite  a  number  of  such  machines  were  then  at 
work  with  varying  success  in  mills  owned  by  men  who  felt  encour- 
aged to  try  them. 

The  builders  of  saw  mill  machinery  were  then  studiously  en- 
deavoring to  produce  a  Band  Mill  that  would  perform  the  full  duty 
of  making  straight  lumber  and  plenty  of  it,  and  a  number  of  them 
had  already  devoted  several  years  of  hard  work  upon  them.  They 
appeared  to  know  what  the  trouble  was,  but  were  greatly  at  a  loss 
to  know  precisely  how  to  correct  it. 

The  story  of  the  trouble  briefly  told  is  as  follows:  A  band  saw 
runs  on  its  wheels  just  the  same  as  a  belt  runs  on  pulleys.  The 
saw,  just  the  same  as  a  belt,  has  a  tight  side  and  also  a  slack  side. 
The  tight  side  is  on  the  log  side  and  the  slack  side  is  opposite  on 
the  back  side;  and  if  for  any  reason  the  saw  should  slip  on  the  lower 
or  driving  wheel,  then  in  that  case  the  momentum  of  the  upper 
wheel  would  carry  the  slack  over  to  the  front  or  log  side,  and  a  snake 
or  crook  in  the  lumber  would  be  the  result.  This  was  generally 
understood  to  be  the  trouble  and  various  expedients,  some  of  which 
were  very  amusing,  were  adopted  (as  hereinafter  shown)  by  ma- 

[  7  } 


chinery  builders,  only  to  be  discarded  later  as  band  mill  construc- 
tion developed. 


THE  HOFFMAN  BAND  SAW  MILL 

Built  by  J.  R.  Hoffman  &  Co.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  and  advertised 
in  the  NORTHWESTERN  LUMBERMAN  May  9,  1885 


[8] 


The  first  Band  Mill  to  attract  the  attention  of  mill  men  was  in 
operation  at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  in  a  saw  mill  operated  by  the  Hoffman 
Bros.  They  had  used  one  for  several  years,  and  the  writer  visited 
their  mill  in  1885.  They  were  then  buying  large  first  clear  logs  up 
in  Michigan  and  sawing  them  into  stuff  for  pigeon  holes  and  other 
cabinet  stock. 

The  wheels  were  of  wood  five  feet  in  diameter,  with  rubber  faces 
and  iron  spoke  centers.  Both  wheels  were  alike.  They  used  a  saw 
five  inches  wide,  which  they  procured  in  France,  claiming  that  no 
saw  makers  in  this  country  knew  how  to  make  a  band  saw,  and  they 
probably  did  not;  but  their  operations  attracted  so  much  attention 
that  they  commenced  to  build  and  market  Band  Mills  of  the  same 
character  as  the  one  in  use  by  themselves,  and  they  did  sell  quite 
a  number  of  them. 

The  iron  work  shown  is  mounted  on  a  wooden  post,  and  while 
this  mill  is  insignificant  when  compared  to  our  modern  mills,  it 
nevertheless  made  a  serious  impression  upon  the  men  who  inspected 
it  at  work. 

J.  J.  Kennedy  of  Rib  Lake,  Wis.,  had  one  of  them,  and  was  the 
first  man  to  employ  a  Prescott  Steam  Feed  to  operate  its  carriage, 
which  he  did  under  the  protest  of  Hoffman's  expert  who  did  not 
believe  it  could  be  used;  but  really  it  materially  increased  the  cut 
of  the  little  Hoffman  mill. 


Second  Band  Saw  Mill  of  J.  R.  Hoffman  &  Co. 

Subsequently  the  mill  of  J.  R.  Hoffman  &  Co.  was  enlarged  to 
an  all  iron  Band  Saw  Mill.  It  was  written  up  in  the  Nov.  28,  1885, 
issue  of  the  Northwestern  Lumberman,  and  thenceforward  they 
advertised  until  they  quit  the  business.  An  illustration  of  the  mill 
is  shown  above. 


10] 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  Cordesman  &  Egan  Co. 

In  the  Dec.  15,  1883,  issue  of  the  Southern  Lumberman,  Cor- 
desman &  Egan  Co.,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  enjoyed  a  write-up  in 
connection  with  a  new  Band  Mill  for  sawing  logs  which  they  had 
devised  and  placed  on  the  market. 

It  sold  to  some  extent  in  the  Ohio  Valley,  but  never  in  the  north- 
west. The  wheels  had  wooden  rims  with  rubber  faces  and  both 
were  alike. 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  London,  Berry  &  Orton 

Up  to  1888,  London,  Berry  &  Orton  of  the  Atlantic  Works, 
Philadelphia,  were  builders  of  log  Band  Mills  and  enjoyed  quite 
an  extensive  trade,  and  some  of  them  found  their  way  into  the 
northwest.  Their  mill  is  here  shown. 

The  wheels  were  six  feet  in  diameter  with  wood  rims  attached 
to  a  metal  rim  inside  of  them;  the  faces  were  rubber  and  the  saws 
were  six  inches  wide. 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  Sinker-Davis  Company 

Next  we  have  the  celebrated  Gold  Dust  Mill  built  by  Sinker- 
Davis  Co.  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.  They  were  advertising  this  mill 
in  the  Southern  Lumberman  as  early  as  1884  and  were  building 
band  mills  for  some  time  previous.  Their  improved  mill  of  1885 
is  here  shown,  wood  rims  with  rubber  faces  composed  the  wheels, 
and  their  market  was  the  middle  sections  of  the  country  but  never 
in  the  mills  of  the  northwest. 


13  ] 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  Smith,  Myers  &  Schnier 

A  Log  Band  Mill  was  also  built  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  by  Smith, 
Myers  &  Schnier,  and  this  mill  was  advertised  by  them  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  Lumberman  as  late  as  Mar.  9,  1888.  It  is  a  crude 
looking  affair  with  wooden  wheels  built  on  iron  flanges.  They 
were  builders  of  Band  Mills,  however,  for  many  years  previous  and 
were  in  competition  for  business  with  those  previously  named. 


[  14] 


BAND  SAW  MILL  OF  THE  STEARNS  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

Inspected  by  the  writer  at  Cadillac,  Mich,  in  1885 

The  operation  of  all  these  mills  did  not  escape  the  careful  attention 
of  the  men  who  were  builders  of  the  machinery  found  in  the  great 
lumber  mills,  realizing  as  they  did  that  the  right  kind  of  a  Band 
Mill  for  sawing  logs  was  yet  to  be  created,  and  they  went  at  it. 

And  to  the  Stearns  Manufacturing  Co.  of  Erie,  Pa.,  must  the  credit 
be  given  for  the  first  vigorous  measures  taken  to  introduce  the  band 


saw  into  the  large  mills  of  the  country,  and  for  their  efforts  to  con- 
vince lumbermen  of  their  usefulness  and  value.  To  that  end  they 
built  a  mill  having  wheels  nine  feet  in  diameter  for  saws  eight  inches 
wide.  The  rims  were  of  wood  with  rubber  faces,  and  the  spokes 
were  of  wrought  pipe.  It  was  their  belief  that  a  band  saw  would 
be  less  liable  to  crack  if  run  on  large  wheels. 

In  combination  with  this  mill  they  mounted  on  the  same  frame 
a  large  circular  arbor  so  that  a  lumberman  could  -use ^either  a  Band 
or  a  Circular  should  he  so  desire. 


Mr.  Wellington  W.  Cummer  in  1887 

Mr.  Wellington  Cummer,  of  Cadillac,  Mich.,  was  the  first  to 
install  one  of  them  in  his  mill;  and  no  lumberman  in  this  country 
has  been  more  ready  to  adopt  improved  methods  than  he.  Mill 
men  generally  do  not  wish  to  try  machines  they  look  upon  as  ex- 
perimental in  any  respect,  no  matter  how  good  they  may  appear; 
usually  they  want  somebody  else  to  try  them  first,  overlooking  the 
fact  that  an  inventor  must  find  some  one  broad  enough  to  permit 


their  mill  to  be  used,  or  one  who  is  willing  perhaps  to  invest  in  a 
machine  that  apparently  is  a  good  thing.  Mr.  Cummer  was  just 
the  man  for  Mr.  Stearns  to  apply  to  in  the  effort  to  introduce  his 
new  Band  Mill.  And  looking  back  the  writer  recalls  with  so  much 
pleasure  the  many  delightful  and  helpful  interviews  had  with  him. 
What  a  comfort  it  is  to  an  inventor  to  find  a  man  of  his  qualities 
of  mind  and  heart  to  whom  he  can  go,  knowing  that  he  would  surely 
be  interested  in  whatever  he  might  have  to  say.  Such  men  move 
things,  and  Mr.  Cummer  did. 

Other  mills  of  the  Stearns  Company  were  put  in  at  Pequaming 
and  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  also  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.  But  these 
mills  were  not  a  complete  success.  They  did  serve,  however,  to 
open  wide  the  eyes  of  the  lumber  world  generally  and  set  the  pace 
for  other  machinery  builders  to  follow. 

The  Stearns  Company  finally  abandoned  this  construction  and 
adopted  a  plan  modeled  on  the  Hoffman  mill,  which  they  adver- 
tised in  the  Northwestern  Lumberman,  January  29,  1887.  Their 
first  mill,  however,  was  the  better  of  the  two. 

The  writer  pauses  here  to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr. 
E.  H.  Stearns  who  possessed  the  brains  from  which  sprung  the  splen- 
did machinery  built  by  the  Stearns  Company.  To  him  more  than 
to  any  other  man  living  or  dead,  are  the  lumbermen  of  this  country 
indebted  for  the  mill  equipments  which  brought  the  greatest  success 
to  them.  He  was  the  first  man  to  give  grace  and  beauty  of  design 
as  well  as  strength  to  saw  mill  machinery.  He  was  the  first  to  pro- 
duce carriages  with  accurately  setting  head  blocks  with  self- reced- 
ing knees,  in  place  of  the  old  time  wooden  head  blocks  with  screw 
sets. 

The  eccentric  setting  blocks,  and  subsequently  the  double  act- 
ing set  works,  which  we  all  now  copy,  came  on  the  market  through 
him.  The  big  circulars  with  reversed  top  saw  models  of  construc- 
tion, came  from  him.  Live  Rollers  and  labor  saving  machines 
originated  with  him,  as  also  did  the  splendid  Gang  Edgers  which 
we  now  have  in  place  of  the  old  single  saw  edger  with  its  travel- 
ing table. 


[  17] 


He  designed  and  built  the  first  of  the  special  heavy  class  ma- 
chinery required  in  California  now  largely  in  use  in  that  state. 

And  yet,  with  all  the  splendid  service  he  rendered  the  lumber- 
men of  this  country,  he  was  allowed  to  go  down  to  his  death  with 
not  enough  to  pay  his  fureral  expenses,  and  few  to  do  him  honor. 
The  men  with  whom  he  dealt  are  now  mostly  dead,  but  the  living 
successors  should  remember  that  to  him  they  are  largely  indebted 
for  the  full  measure  of  prosperity  they  now  enjoy. 


Mr.  E.  H.  Stearns  in  1885 


BAND  SAW  MILL  OF  E.  P.  ALLIS  &  CO. 

Described  as  the  latest  candidate  in  the  NORTHWESTERN  LUMBERMAN 

of  January  9,  1886 

In  1885  E.  P.  Allis  &  Co.  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  actively  began 
operations  with  Band  Mills  for  sawing  logs.  In  principle  their 
constructions  were  similar  to  all  the  others  heretofore  named,  but 
for  nearly  four  years  they  persistently  adhered  to  a  mill  having  at 
least  one  glaring  defect,  namely,  overhanging  wheels;  that  is,  there 
was  no  supporting  boxes  outside  of  them.  In  1889  they  corrected 
this  defect. 

[  19] 


But  the  amusing  feature  in  the  mill  of  E.  P.  Allis  &  Co.  is  shown 
in  the  effort  to  keep  the  slack  slide  of  the  saw  on  the  back  side  of 
the  mill  where  it  belongs,  and  thus  prevent  making  snakey  or  dishy 
lumber.  The  overhanging  wheels,  nine  feet  in  diamater  for  eight- 
inch  saws,  are  shown.  The  top  wheel  was  almost  entirely  of  wood, 
and  the  spokes  were  flat  and  wide,  the  object  being  to  obtain  an 
atmospheric  resistance  continually  as  a  pull  back  on  the  cutting  side 
of  the  saw.  A  tightener  pulley  was  also  applied  to  the  saw  on  the 
rear  side. 

This  sounded  good  and  they  sold  a  lot  of  mills  on  the  strength 
of  it;  but  the  wind  that  came  from  them  would  blow  the  sawyer  out 
of  the  mill  unless  the  wheel  was  boxed  in,  and  finally  it  happened 
that  a  saw  came  off  and  the  wheel  did  not  meet  with  resistance 
enough  to  stop  itself,  but  kept  on  going,  and  that  burst  the  bubble. 

Attention  is  also  directed  to  the  fact  that  the  combination  of 
a  circular  saw  with  a  band  saw,  as  in  the  Stearns'  mill,  was  adopted 
by  the  Allis  Company. 


[20] 


Second  Band  Saw  Mill  of  £.  P.  Allis  &  Co. 

Improved  Reliance  Band  Saw  Mill  of  E.  P.  Allis  &  Co.  Ad- 
vertised in  the  Southern  Lumberman,  January  I,  1889,  as  the  "best 
on  earth."  This  mill  they  continued  to  build  until  1892.  It  shows 
metallic  wheels  and  supporting  arms  outside  of  them  as  in  the 
Stearns  mills. 


•2\ 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  Benjamin  &  Fischer 

Feby.  14,  1885,  The  Northwestern  Lumberman  caused  a  shiver 
to  run  through  the  mechanical  world  by  publishing  an  account  of 
"A  New  Entry,"  and  showing  two  illustrations  of  a  Band  Mill  for 
sawing  logs  invented  by  Mr.  Benjamin  of  the  firm  of  Benjamin  & 
Fischer  of  Chicago,  111.  It  was  extensively  advertised,  and  really 


was  an  ingenious  mill.  It  was  intended  to  correct  the  defects  ex- 
isting in  other  mills  which  had  made  such  crooked  lumber,  cracked 
saws,  and  performed  all  sorts  of  mischief,  which  they  really  had, 
and  there  was  no  doubt  about  it. 

Apart  from  the  fact  that  the  lower  wheel  was  much  larger  in 
diameter  than  the  top  wheel,  the  main  distinguishing  feature  in 
the  Benjamin  mill  was  the  application  of  a  ball  centrifugal  governor 
to  automatically  adjust  a  tightener  pulley  impinging  on  the  back 
side  of  the  saw  to  instantly  take  up  and  prevent  a  slack  from  going 
over  to  the  tight  side  and  thereby  making  snakey,  crooked  lumber. 

One  of  these  mills  was  erected  at  Chicago.  A  car  of  logs  was 
brought  there  and  many  prominent  mill  men  were  invited  to  see 
the  mill  at  work.  A  large  number  attended;  but  the  mill  did  not 
satisfy  any  of  them.  There  was  just  one  thing  Mr.  Benjamin  did 
not  take  into  account,  namely,  a  governor  cannot  act  until  there 
is  a  perceptible  increase  or  diminution  in  the  speed  of  an  engine  or 
a  machine;  consequently  in  a  band  mill  it  got  in  its  work  too  late 
to  stop  the  mischief.  The  mill  never  went  into  general  service. 
Its  wheels  were  of  wood  with  rubber  faces. 


Early  in  1886  Mr.  Charles  Esplin,  of  the  Pray  Manufacturing 
Co.,  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  built  a  Band  Mill  upon  an  entirely  new 
principle,  and  one  of  them  was  operated  that  year  by  the  Superior 
Lumber  Co.,  of  Ashland,  Wis.  It  was  illustrated  and  advertised 
in  1887  as  "the  only  perfect  Band  Mill  in  use."  It  transpired, 
however,  that  the  analysis  of  band  saw  troubles  and  their  causes 
as  published  by  Mr.  Esplin  was  truly  perfect,  but  the  Band  Mill 
built  by  him  to  correct  the  troubles  was  imperfect  to  the  extreme, 
as  will  be  seen;  and  the  wonder  is  that  he  did  not  see  it  himself, 
when  clearly  on  the  right  track. 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  Charles  Esplin 

To  understand  this  construction  it  is  proper  to  state  that  the 
attempt  is  made  to  apply  an  exceedingly  sensitive  and  automatic 
strain  to  the  band  saw;  a  strain  instantly  responsive  to  any  change 
in  the  run  of  the  saw,  whether  due  to  expansion  or  slippage;  no 
matter  what  might  happen  the  strain  would  always  be  uniform, 
and  perfect  lumber  with  lots  of  it  would  be  the  continual  result. 


24 


The  top  wheel  with  its  shaft  was  mounted  in  fixed  boxes,  ad- 
justable only  in  order  to  change  saws.  But  the  heavy  lower  wheel 
with  its  large  shaft  and  belt  pulley  was  mounted  in  boxes  integral 
with  an  iron  rocker  or  tightener  frame  to  which  was  attached  a 
long  weighted  lever  like  an  old  fashioned  safety  valve  lever;  and  the 
wheel  thus  equipped  was  placed  in  the  saw.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  weight  of  the  wheel  with  its  shaft  and  the  rocker  frame, 
lever,  weight  and  pulley,  was  employed  to  strain  that  saw  downward 
automatically;  and  it  was  designed  that  this  wheel  acting  through 
gravity  should  respond  instantly  to  changes  which  might  occur  to 
the  saw,  whereby  all  slack  would  be  taken  up  and  a  perfectly  uni- 
form tension  be  maintained. 

This  kind  of  talk  was  certainly  catchy  with  lumbermen  for  it 
also  sounded  good.  There  was,  however,  just  one  thing  Mr.  Esplin 
and  others  overlooked,  namely,  if  an  adjustment  is  at  all  necessary 
to  meet  changing  conditions  in  a  band  saw  running  from  9,000  to 
10,000  feet  in  a  minute,  then  that  adjustment  must  of  necessity 
take  place  almost  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  that  automatically. 

Mr.  Esplin's  lower  wheel,  boxing,  shaft,  belt  pulley,  rocker 
frame,  lever  and  weight  probably  weighed  four  tons.  Such  a  weight 
cannot  move  like  a  flash,  and  goes  too  far  when  it  does  move,  and 
broken  saws  or  snakey  lumber  were  the  logical  result.  The  inertia 
of  such  a  mass  prevents  quick  action. 

This  mill  was  a  failure  like  the  rest,  and  the  designers  of  Band 
Saw  Mills  for  sawing  logs  were  left  groping  in  darkness.  To  be 
sure,  Band  Mills  to  some  extent  were  in  use  though  largely  under 
protest  because  of  the  poor  lumber  they  made,  the  small  quantities 
produced,  and  the  troubles  experienced  with  cracked  and  broken 
saws. 


[25] 


Cunningham  Inclined  Band  Saw  Mill 

It  was  in  the  same  year,  1886,  that  The  Filer  &  Stowell  Co.,  of 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  flattered  themselves  into  believing  that  other 
machinery  builders  did  not  really  understand  just  how  a  Band  Mill 
for  sawing  logs  should  be  built,  and  being  perfectly  cognizant  of  the 
difficulties  experienced  and  of  the  remedy  to  be  applied,  they  de- 
signed and  brought  out  and  advertised  the  Cunningham  Inclined 
Mill,  an  illustration  of  which  is  here  shown. 


26  ] 


For  a  unique  organization  this  mill  took  the  cake.  The  idea  of 
it  was  good,  and  it  should  have  been  a  winner,  but  for  some  reason 
it  was  not.  They  built  and  sold  quite  a  number  of  them,  and  then 
later  they  changed  to  a  more  sensible  kind  of  a  mill. 

As  will  be  observed,  this  mill  inclined  to  the  rear  twenty  or 
more  degrees,  with  the  result  that  the  saw  would  enter  a  log  like 
a  circular  saw,  cutting  under  in  a  manner  similar  to  the  circular 
instead  of  straight  down  across  the  grain  as  band  saws  usually  do. 
It  was  understood  that  a  circular  could  do  straight  work  and  very 
much  more  daily  than  was  possible  with  a  band  saw.  It  was,  there- 
fore, quite  natural  to  suppose  that  if  a  band  mill  could  be  constructed 
so  as  to  operate  substantially  like  a  circular  with  equal  advantages, 
then  there  appeared  no  reason  why  it  should  not  do  as  good  work 
if  not  quite  so  much.  At  all  events  it  was  expected  that  this  mill 
would  do  more  work  and  better  work  than  any  of  its  predecessors. 
But  it  did  not,  and  proved  to  be  quite  a  nuisance  as  it  required  about 
six  men  to  place  the  saw  on  its  wheels  every  time  they  were  changed ; 
and  the  mill  went  out  of  use. 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  Wilson  &  Hendrie 

In  1886  Wilson  &  Hendrie,  of  Montague,  Mich.,  tried  their  hand 
at  Band  Mill  construction.  Their  mill  as  here  shown  is  an  enlarged 
copy  of  the  Hoffman  mill,  but  having  a  cast  frame  of  apparently 
large  dimensions.  Locally  this  mill  may  have  gone  into  use  to  some 
extent,  but  it  found  no  market  among  saw  mills  generally. 


[28] 


Band  Saw  Mill  of  The  Wilkin  Manufacturing  Co. 

And  then  in  1888  The  Wilkin  Mfg.  Co.,  of  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
advertised  and  marketed  a  Band  Mill  designated  as  "the  most  com- 
mon sense  Band  Mill  made."  It  had  overhanging  wheels  of  wood 
with  rubber  faces. 


29  ] 


In  one  respect  this  mill  demonstrates  how  easy  it  is  for  one  to 
imagine  a  trouble  and  then  spend  a  lot  of  money  to  correct  a  trouble 
that  really  has  no  existence. 

It  was  known,  of  course,  that  a  band  saw  under  stress  would  be 
inclined  to  gravitate  to  the  rear.  In  this  mill  the  attempt  is  made 
to  prevent  this  and  compel  the  saw  to  follow  its  proper  path  around 
the  wheels  by  raising  or  depressing  the  tail  end  of  the  top  wheel 
shaft;  and  in  order  to  do  this  automatically  a  steel  trolley  was  ap- 
plied to  the  rear  edge  of  the  saw,  closely  following  it,  whatever  its 
position  might  be;  but  any  movement  of  the  trolley  towards  the 
front  or  rear  was  followed  by  a  corresponding  adjustment  of  the 
tail  box  of  the  top  shaft.  The  effect  of  the  trolley  on  the  edge  of 
the  saw  was  bad;  and  besides  that  there  really  was  no  special  need 
of  any  device  of  the  kind. 

In  connection  with  this  mill  there  are  also  three  other  interest- 
ing features  worthy  of  mention,  as  one  of  them  in  particular  illus- 
trates the  method  then  prevailing  of  preventing  a  log  from  rubbing 
or  dragging  against  the  saw  when  the  carriage  was  run  back  or  being 
gigged  for  the  next  cut.  At  the  present  time  an  off-setting  mechan- 
ism is  applied  to  the  carriage  trucks,  but  previously  a  depressor, 
so-called,  was  applied  to  all  mills  substantially  as  shown  in  the  Wil- 
kin  mill  and  others  illustrated  herein.  That  is  to  say,  both  the 
upper  and  lower  saw  guides  were  movable  transversely,  and  the  off- 
bearer  by  means  of  a  hand  lever,  forced  the  guides  back  from  the 
saw  line,  carrying  the  saw  sideways  away  from  the  log,  and  in  this 
manner  contact  with  the  face  of  the  log  was  prevented;  but  it  was 
hard  on  the  saw. 

In  this  mill,  however,  there  is  a  new  departure  as  shown  by  the 
application  of  two  small  friction  rolls  or  pulleys  behind  the  saw, 
in  place  of  the  usual  saw  guides;  the  idea  being  to  force  the  saw  out 
to  the  saw  line  by  means  of  the  rolls,  and  then  when  the  carriage 
was  gigged  the  rolls  were  moved  back  and  the  saw  permitted  to  fall 
away  from  the  face  of  the  log;  this  feature  being  an  imitation  of 
the  same  thing  embodied  in  the  Allington  mill  previously  built  at 
Saginaw,  but  not  shown  herein.  This  arrangement,  however, 
proved  to  be  severe  on  the  saws,  because  such  short  bends  will 

[  30] 


crack  them  in  a  short  time,  and  besides  this  the  rolls  made  such  a 
roar  in  a  mill  that  not  much  else  could  be  heard. 

Next  in  this  mill  a  spring  was  employed  to  maintain  a  sensi- 
tive automatic  strain  on  the  saw;  and  this,  like  the  other  special 
features  of  the  mill,  proved  worthless,  and  the  mill,  like  the  Ailing- 
ton,  went  out  of  use  and  is  unknown  to  the  art  now. 

Now  in  all  the  preceding  it  is  shown  that  Saw  Mill  Machinery 
Builders  were  studiously  striving  during  all  the  years  between  1880 
and  1887,  and  some  of  them  to  a  much  later  date,  to  produce  a  Band 
Mill  for  sawing  logs  that  would  do  good  work  and  as  much  of  it 
as  lumbermen  would  be  satisfied  with,  and  that,  too,  without  so  much 
cracking  and  breaking  of  saws.  The  simple  fact  that  they  were 
continually  devising  new  constructions  with  a  statement  each  time 
that  now  they  had  struck  it,  and  the  further  fact  that  without  an 
exception  all  of  these  were  entirely  abandoned  and  fundamentally 
new  machines  brought  out  at  a  later  date,  prove  indubitably  that 
all  of  their  former  efforts  had  failed  to  meet  the  full  requirements 
which  lumbermen  expected  and  demanded. 

The  question  then  naturally  arises,  how  did  it  come  about  that 
successful  cutting  band  mills  of  a  wholly  different  type  are  now 
universally  in  use?  Who  is  the  man  who  originated  the  strictly 
modern  band  mill  that  served  as  a  pattern  for  all  to  follow?  The 
following  will  explain  it: 

Aug.  23  and  Sept.  13,  1887,  patents  were  issued  to  D.  C.  Pres- 
cott,  then  of  Marinette,  Wis.,  for  improvements  in  Band  Saw  Mills, 
and  other  patents  followed  shortly  thereafter  on  further  improve- 
ments. 


[31  ] 


D.  C.  Prescott  in  1887 

The  creation  of  these  mills  was  purely  upon  the  principle  pre- 
viously described  by  Mr.  Esplin  who  so  signally  failed  in  its  appli- 
cation. Plainly  it  was  evident  that  to  secure  a  nervous,  sensitive 
and  constant  strain  on  a  band  saw,  it  was  imperative  to  reduce  the 
weight  upon  the  straining  levers  to  the  least  possible  quantity  con- 
sistent with  strength,  and  to  make  all  the  pivotal  points  as  near 
frictionless  as  possible  by  the  intervention  of  knife  edges  or  ball 
bearings;  and  while  it  was  impossible  to  reduce  the  weight  to  a  point 
so  as  to  accomplish  an  automatic  adjustment  as  quick  as  a  flash, 
it  is  a  fact,  nevertheless,  that  in  the  Prescott  mills  of  that  date  a 
strain  was  automatically  maintained  sufficient  to  successfully  ac- 
complish the  work  of  sawing  lumber  accurately  and  in  acceptable 
quantities.  And  these  were  the  mills  that  set  the  pace  for  all  other 
builders  and  revolutionized  saw  mill  constructions. 

[32] 


PRESCOTT  BAND  SAW  MILL 

Patented  September  13,  1887;  over  150  built  and  most  of  them  are 
in  service  at  the  present  time,  1910 


[33] 


PRESCOTT  BAND  SAW  MILL 

Patented  November  26,  1889,  with  set-off  for  increased  space 
from  saw  line  to  column.     8  foot  wheels,  12  inch  saws 


The  light  metallic  top  wheel  with  its  shaft,  runs  in  boxes  mounted 
on  plungers,  and  from  them  stems  lead  down  to  the  straining  levers, 
and  all  were  made  as  light  as  possible.  Characteristically  about 
all  band  mills  now  employ  this  system,  and  whether  they  have  a 
single  column  or  a  double  column,  the  arrangement  is  substantially 
the  same. 

We  often  read  of  big  day's  work  performed  by  some  make  of 
band  mill,  but  it  is  proper  to  say  that  the  day's  work  performed  in 
the  saw  mill  of  the  North  Wisconsin  Lumber  Co.  at  Hay  ward,  Wis., 
has  never  been  equaled.  This  was  done  by  two  of  Prescott's  No.  3 
mills,  being  the  second  one  illustrated,  as  follows: 

NORTH  WISCONSIN  LUMBER  COMPANY 

Hayward,  Wis.,  Aug.  23,  1893. 
D.  CLINT  PRESCOTT. 

Dear  Sir: — The  North  Wisconsin  Lumber  Company 
made  the  following  cut:  August  22,  1893,  with  two 
Prescott  Band  Mills  only,  609  selected  logs,  scaled  full. 
Average  1.97  to  1,000  feet,  309,400  feet. 

Lumber  scale,  I  inch,  45»236 

1 1/±  and  2  inch,     294,077 


339,313  feet 

The  cut  of  August  22nd  shows  what  can  be  done  with 
large  logs,  and  the  cutting  was  as  perfectly  done  as  any 
day's  cut  we  ever  made.  W.  H.  Elliott,  Superintendent 
of  Valley  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  and  A.  L.  Ulrich,  of 
Rice  Lake  Lumber  Co.,  will  vouch  for  the  cut  of  August 
22nd,  as  well  as  Captain  Rogers,  our  Superintendent,  and 
myself. 

Yours  truly, 

R.  L.  McCORMICK, 

Secretary  N.  W.  L.  Co. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  the  gain  of  about  30,000  feet  by  sawing 
the  logs  with  a  Band  Mill  instead  of  a  Circular  Mill. 

This  record,  widely  published  at  the  time,  coupled  with  the  fact 
that  nearly  three  hundred  Prescott  mills  were  then  in  successful 

[35] 


service,  is  evidence  enough  to  show  that  all  other  Band,  Mills  as 
herein  shown  had  become  obsolete  and  were  back  numbers,  and  were 
abandoned  for  the  later  constructions  all  are  now  familiar  with. 

But  before  any  of  them,  or  any  of  the  others  that  have  appeared 
on  the  market  since  then,  can  boast  of  big  cuts  or  a  superior  grade  of 
mills,  it  is  up  to  them  to  show  a  better  record  than  the  one  above 
given;  a  record  that  will  be  vouched  for  by  .Mr.  McCormick  who  is 
still  alive. 


R.  L.  McCormick  in  1893 

There  are  also  two  of  this  same  type  of  Band  Mills  now  running 
in  the  saw  mill  of  the  Fosburgh  Lumber  Co.  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  and 
notwithstanding  they  are  nearly  twenty  years  old,  there  are  no 
Bands  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  anywhere  that  equal  them  today, 
either  in  the  quality  or  extent  of  daily  output. 

The  short,  compact  mill  with  the  base  above  the  overlays  of 
the  saw  floor,  originated  with  Prescott.  Wood  rims  with  rubber 
faces  on  the  wheels  were  speedily  abandoned  by  him,  and  wheels 
all  of  metal  were  brought  into  use,  so  that  a  filer  in  rolling  tension 
into  the  saw  had  a  clean  wheel  free  from  bunches  of  pitch  and  saw- 

[36] 


dust  which  stuck  to  the  rubber  faces  and  produced  unbalanced 
wheels;  but  then  everybody  supposed  that  rubber  faces  were  a 
necessity.  Mr.  Prescott  demonstrated  that  the  mill  was  vastly 
better  without  them. 

The  late  improvements  made  in  frame  constructions  merely  add 
stability  without  increasing  the  quality  or  extent  of  the  output, 
this  being  entirely  dependent  upon  a  light  weight  of  the  top  wheel 
with  its  shaft  and  boxing  in  combination  with  a  straining  lever  sytem 
made  as  frictionless  and  sensitive  as  possible;  for  without  these  good 
conditions  no  band  mill  will  render  duty  of  the  highest  grade. 

Logically,  then,  the  same  principles  and  elements  of  construc- 
tion have  been  embodied  in  all  the  splendid  Band  Saw  Mills  now 
built  by  The  Prescott  Company  herein  shown. 


[37 


STANDARD  HEAVY  BAND  MILL 

Of  1910,  for  sawing  logs 

Of  this  type  The  Prescott  Company  builds  the  following  sizes, 
both  right  and  left  hand,  single  or  double  cutting: 

Diameter  of  wheels  7  feet  for  saws  10  inches  wide. 

"       "      8    "       "     "       12  or  14  inches  wide. 
"      9    "       "     "       12  to  16       " 

[  38] 


Next  is  shown  the  Pacific  type  of  the  Prescott  Band  Saw  Mills 
for  cutting  large  logs,  having  wheels  9  feet  in  diameter,  and  using 
saws  from  12  to  16  inches  wide.  They  are  built  for  double  cutting 
as  shown,  as  well  as  for  single  cutting.  Their  dimensions  are  about 
as  follows: 

Base  9'  7"  by  n'  7". 

Maximum  distance  between  guides  6'  6". 

Distance  from  saw  line  to  column  4'  6". 

Maximum  length  of  saw  53'  6" '. 

Weight  from  42,000  to  45,000  Ibs. 

When  desired  a  steam  cylinder  is  applied  for  operating  the  upper 
guide,  and  a  reversing  engine  for  adjusting  the  top  wheel  when 
changing  saws. 

Their  straining  mechanism  is  exceedingly  sensitive,  their  shafts 
are  large,  their  boxes  18  inches  long  and  water  cooled;  so  that  in 
every  respect  these  mills  are  perfectly  equipped,  and  a  2O-inch  double 
belt  is  necessary  to  drive  them. 


For  the  largest  logs  of  the  Pacific  coast  cut  with  a  Band 
Saw  Mill,  The  Prescott  Company  advanced  to  a  mill  of  the  same 
type  but  having  wheels  10  feet  in  diameter  for  saws  up  to  18 
inches  in  width. 

The  base  of  this  mill  is  10'  7"  by  14'  6". 

Maximum  distance  between  guides  7'  3". 

Maximum  length  of  saw  60'  9". 

Distance  from  saw  line  to  column  5'. 

Weight  from  54,000  to  58,000  Ibs. 

The  shafts  are  large  with  20"  water  cooled  boxes.  Steam  is 
applied  to  operate  the  top  guides  and  adjust  the  top  shaft  when 
desired.  A  24-inch  double  belt  is  necessary  to  drive  it. 


39 


40 


PACIFIC  COAST,  10  FOOT  BAND  MILL 


[41  ] 


In  every  respect  these  mills  are  splendid  creations  and  exhibit  a 
vast  stride  in  advance  of  the  earlier  mills  described  herein. 

All  of  these  mills  are  provided  with  a  surrounding  base,  a  pow- 
ered upper  guide,  quick  opening  lower  guide  (as  shown  on  page  45), 
live  roller,  means  for  maintaining  alignments  and  adjusting  the 
upper  wheel  when  changing  saws,  the  latter  being  done  either  by 
hand  or  power  as  required;  and  the  upper  wheel  in  all  of  these  mills 
when  raised  to  the  maximum  point  admit  of  the  use  of  a  long  saw 
for  sawing  occasional  large  logs,  a  saw  two  feet  shorter  being  in  use 
normally  for  medium  sizes  of  logs  which  are  mostly  cut.  And  these 
mills  in  combination  with  a  Prescott  carriage  constitute  an  equip- 
ment absolutely  unrivaled  by  any  other  productions  in  the  world. 

Rack  and  pinion  head  blocks,  every  piece  of  which  is  an  open 
hearth  steel  casting,  are  furnished  in  sizes  varying  from  36  inches 
to  72  inches,  being  the  distance  the  knees  recede  from  the  saw  line; 
and  these  with  frames  proportionate  in  dimensions  and  composed 
of  well  seasoned  southern  pine  timber,  well  ironed  and  braced, 
comprise  great  strength  and  durability. 

For  mechanically  exact  setting,  all  racks,  pinions,  taper  sets 
and  ratchet  wheels  are  cut  from  solid  blanks  in  a  gear  cutter.  The 
knees  are  operated  either  by  hand  lever  and  quadrant,  the  familiar 
way,  or  by  a  Prescott  Steam  Setting  Machine,  which  advances 
them  for  4-inch  lumber  or  any  thickness  less,  varying  by  i-64th 
of  an  inch  to  every  click  of  a  pawl  on  the  ratchet  wheel,  and  that  too 
with  a  single  rearward  and  return  stroke  of  the  piston,  so  that  great 
speed  and  accuracy  are  the  characteristics  of  this  machine;  and 
with  it  an  increase  of  cut  is  obtained  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the 
setter  does  not  get  tired,  and  no  sawyer  will  have  to  wait  for  him. 
And  more,  with  them  a  mill  man  can  keep  a  good  setter  who  other- 
wise might  be  on  the  hunt  for  an  easier  job. 

These  carriages  are  also  supplied  with  Friction,  Spring  or  Steam 
Receders,  which  latter  can  be  employed  in  all  cases  where  Steam 
Sets  are  used  for  which  steam  is  delivered  to  the  moving  carriage. 
The  value  of  steam  receders  consists  in  the  ability  to  advance  or 


[42] 


Standard  3-Block  Carriage  with  4-inch  combined  steam  and 
ratchet  set  works 

recede  the  knees  at  any  time  whether  the  carriage  is  moving  or  at 
rest,  and  for  receding  the  knees  of  large  blocks  sawing  short  logs 
only. 

A  Revolving  or  Flat  Scale  always  indicates  the  position  of  the 
knees.  Dogs  hold  the  logs.  An  Automatic  Offset  gives  a  clear- 
ance of  the  saw  when  on  the  gigg,  and  Steel  Trucks  and  Steel  Track 
necessarily  go  with  such  a  carriage,  composed  either  of  heavy  T 
Rail,  or  the  lighter  rolled  track,  according  to  the  size  and  weight  of 
the  carriage. 

For  accuracy  and  speed  these  carriages  have  no  equal,  especi- 
ally when  handled  by  a  Prescott  Direct-acting  Steam  Feed. 

[43] 


PACIFIC  COAST  SCREW  BLOCKS 

Both  the  knees  and  bases  of  these  blocks  are  composed  of  solid 
open  hearth  steel  castings  faced  with  heavy  steel  bars,  presenting 
wide  surfaces  for  the  knees  which  are  grooved  to  fit  them.  The 
knees  are  supplied  with  rolls,  spud  and  extension  hook  dogs.  The 
screws  are  4-inch  pitch  and  triple  threaded.  The  gears  are  steel 
and  cut  in  a  gear  cutter  and  are  actuated  in  setting  by  hand  levers 
and  quadrant  or  by  power  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  a  pur- 
chaser. 

The  Prescott  Company  furnishes  these  blocks  in  the  following 
sizes,  viz.:  72-inch,  84-inch  and  96-inch;  being  the  distance  the 
knees  recede  from  the  saw  line. 

And  in  all  other  respects  the  equipment  of  the  carriage  is  very 
heavy  and  fully  up  to  date  in  every  respect. 


[44] 


QUICK  OPENING  LOWER  GUIDE 

These  Guides  are  applied  to  all  Log  Band  Saw  Mills  built  by 
The  Prescott  Company.  When  slivers,  bark  or  sawdust  wedge 
in  the  Guide  and  cause  trouble  and  heat  the  saw,  then  the  Guide 
is  promptly  opened  by  the  off-bearer  and  the  stuff  falls  through. 

When  changing  saws  the  Guide  can  be  promptly  opened. 

[45] 


VERTICAL  BAND  RESAW 

Made  in  7-foot,  8-foot  and  9-foot  sizes 


[46] 


The  Prescott  Vertical  Band  Resaw 

This  machine  is  built  in  three  sizes,  viz.: 

With  wheels  7  feet  in  diameter  for  lo-inch  saws. 

«  "  0  <  <  «  <  <  «       -r  "  « 

o  12 

«l      •  «          rv"  ' '  "  "     T  ?          "  " 

It  is  distinctly  a  machine  for  resawing  plank,  cants  or  timber 
up  to  1 6  inches  in  thickness.  The  mill  proper  is  provided  with  a 
surrounding  base  and  is  constructed  upon  the  same  principles  as 
are  all  Prescott  Log  Band  Mills.  The  feed  works  being  driven  by 
the  machine  itself  makes  the  whole  self-contained.  The  outside 
pressure  rolls,  are  adjusted  by  power;  and  the  inside  rolls  are 
operated  by  hand  levers  and  notched  quadrants,  and  regulate  all 
thicknesses  of  lumber  to  1-32  of  an  inch.  And  all  of  these  rolls 
are  power  driven.  All  gearing  is  steel,  the  upper  guide  is  power 
operated,  and  the  mill  itself  is  made  self-centering  when  desired, 
although  this  feature  is  not  specially  necessary  in  this  machine. 

No  finer  machine  exists  for  resawing  lumber  and  timber  coming 
from  a  log  Band  Mill  or  a  Circular. 

It  is  not  adapted  for  resawing  slabs. 


[47] 


[48] 


Standard  Prescott  Horizontal  Band  Resaw  Mill 

For  Resawing  Slabs  and  Planks 

The  machine  shown  upon  the  opposite  page  has  wheels  6  feet 
in  diameter,  and  admits  upon  the  feed  rollers  a  slab  nearly  30  inches 
wide  and  about  12  inches  high,  so  that  half  logs  of  considerable  size 
may  be  sawed  as  well  as  slabs. 

Numerous  feed  rollers  are  employed  instead  of  the  endless  platen 
or  apron,  thus  insuring  efficiency  and  durability. 

The  feed  rollers  are  mounted  upon  an  independent  frame  which 
can  be  withdrawn  when  necessary  for  purposes  of  repair.  This 
is  adjustable  vertically  by  means  of  a  hand  lever  with  quadrant 
for  setting  the  machine  to  saw  lumber  into  the  required  thicknesses. 

The  base  and  frame  are  heavy  and  substantial,  and  the  machin- 
ery is  located  above  where  it  is  accessible  and  out  of  the  way  of  the 
dirt  which  may  accumulate.  A  very  sensitive  saw  straining  mechan- 
ism is  applied. 

The  pressure  sprockets  are  supplied  with  power  for  such  ma- 
terial as  may  require  it,  and  is  omitted,  however,  when  it  appears 
unnecessary.  The  feed  can  be  increased,  diminished  or  reversed. 

The  machine  is  located  upon  beams  on  the  line  of  the  overlays, 
requiring  no  special  substructure  to  support  it. 

Other  sizes  are  supplied  for  special  uses  and  further  informa- 
tion will  gladly  be  given  by  correspondence. 


[49] 


The  Prescott  Company 

Manufacturers  of 

Strictly    Modern    Saw    Mill    Machinery    of 

standard    sizes   for    medium    logs  and   a 

heavy  class  for  the  large  logs  of  the 

Pacific    Coast    or    elsewhere 

comprising: 

Band  Mills  Slashers, 

for  logs  and  resawing  purposes,  j  _A|_  A/Till^ 

Circular  Mills,  T .      n 

Live  Rolls, 

Carriages,  Transfpr* 

both  Rack  and  Pinion  and  Screw  L  OUBttClBj 

Setting'  Log  Jackers, 

Steam  Setting  and  Steam  c,          XT. 

Receding  Machines,  Steam  Nl^ers' 

Edgers-3types  Log  Turners, 

Trimmers — 3  types  Kickers, 

Log  Stops  and  Loaders,  Dogs, 
Rift  Sawing  Machines, 

Steam  Jump  and  Swing  Saws, 
Off  setts,  etc.,  etc. 

And  a  full  line  of  Transmission  Machinery  all  built  for  either 
Wood  or  Steel  Construction. 


PLANS  OF  SAW  MILLS  WITH  SPECIFICATIONS  AND 
ESTIMATES  FURNISHED. 

SEND  FOR  CATALOGUES 


BRANCH  OFFICES  CALIFORNIA  AGENTS 

Chicago,  III.  Seattle,  Wash.        The  Eby  Machinery  Co. 

New  Tork  San  Francisco 


Plant  of 


The  Prescott  Company 


Works  and  Main  Office: 

Menominee,  Michigan 


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